Fruit clipper



Oct. so, 1923. 1,472,392

' L. M. HARVEY FRUIT CLIPPER P iled May 27 1920 ramas on. so, teas. hid/a unirse stares easier LEO M. HARVEY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA..

FRUIT CLIPPER.

Application tiled Hay 27, 1920. Serial No. 386,359

To all iti/1,0m t may (2o/mem: of reference for indicating the same or like 55 Be it known that I, Lno M. HARVEY, a parts. In said drawings: citizen of the United States. and a resident Fig. l is a plan view of the clippers in of Los Angeles, inthe county of Los Anclosed position, the open position being in geles, State of California, have invented new dicated in broken lines.

and useful Improvements in Fruit Clippers, Fig. 2 is a bottoni view of the clipper 9 of which the following is a specification. jaws, v This invention relates to clippers for fruit Fig. 3 is a section of the saine on line and the like and is especially useful for of Fig. l.

l@ clipping citrus fruits, including oranges, Fig. 4 is a section of the same on line lemons, etc., from their stems Without in of Fig. i. t5 any manner injuring the Vtender skins, Fig. 5 is a front end view of the clippers. which, if damaged in the picking or clip- Fig. 6 is a side view of the same.

ping will render the fruit unmarketable and Fig, 7 is a section ot the same on line subject to rot and deterioration. The main 7-7 of Fig. 1. object, therefore. of my invention is to pro- In order to provide clippers of light 70 vide a clipper of simple construction, light Weight and convenient torni l prefer weight and convenient size and form which form the clippers of two main integral parts.y may be held in the hand conveniently While each having a single clipping jaw and a the Jfruit is being clipped from the stems handle and said main members are initiallv and which is adapted to facilitate the clipformed ot sheet metal and welded together ping operation in every possible manner. at the meeting edges so as to provide a struc It will be understood that in practice ture of substantially rectangular cross secfruit such as oranges, apples, lemons, etc., tion. and one of said members is madr is Wrapped in paper and packed tightly in slightly narrower at their point of attachn crates, or boxes for convenience in handling ment in order that a single pin or screw maj.' and for the purpose of shipping, and it is be employed for holding the members todesirable that the stems of the fruit should gether for use. These main members be short enough to prevent their contact represented in the drawings by characters 30 with the skins, and at the same time it is A and B. Member A. has a l. hallo desirable that the stems should not be so handle 2. and an intermediate body.T pettine it short as to expose the meat of the fruit to 3. Likewise member B has a javv 4;-, a handle the atn'iosphere as Would occur when the 5 and a body portion 6 and both members stems were entirely removed from the fruit are, as stated formed of sheet metal halves 35 or too short or broken, as it is necessar to joined together at line 7 by welding mate* preserve the fruit from deterioration as ong rial so as to torm integral hollow parts. lthe as possible. handles 2 and 5 are siniilarti,v YFormed and ln clippingl the fruit from the stems the taper slightly from the body portions 3 anni` skin may be easily broken by contact- With (i to their outer ends and have curved por. thc metal parts of the clippers should the tions 8 and 9. respectively, close to said body clipper 'jaws be improperlyr positioned or portions white the handle grips are preferl 'A have an)Y sharp edges which would touch the ably straight andare adapted to be parallel skin ot: the fruit. Another object is to prowhen the jaws are closed. es shown in 'bill vide means for engagement with the stems lines in Fig. 1.

45 ot the fruit. and separate from the jaws of Member A has spaced itat sides l0 and llt the clippers. which will prevent the imbetween which similar but smaller spaced proper positioning of the clippers and limit flat sides 12 and 13 of member B are adapt.-r the position ot the jaws over the stem pits. ed to tit and a connecting web 14 joins the Other objects may appear as the description sides 10 and ll of member together white e0 progresses. a web 15 Iioins the sides lf2 and lil in a simi l have illustrated a preferred embodiment lar manner. Then said members are a ot in v invention in the drawings hereto aptached together tor use the member ll f1 pended and forming a part of this applicaslipped through the opening ot the bmf tion. in which l have used similar characters of member .t until the sides l2 and 13 their,V

of register centrally with the sides 10 and 11 of member A, and a fulcrum pin 16 is inserted through corresponding bores 17 and 18, respectively, in the opposite sides of the two members and is held therein by means of a retaining screw 19 which is threaded into the end of said pin.

A wire spring 20 is coiled around the pin 16 between the sides 12 and 13 of member B and the ends 21 and 22 thereof are extended into the hollows 23 and 24, respectively, of the handles of the main members A and B so as to hold the jaws 1 and 4 and handles 2 and 5 normally spaced apart to their fullest extent.

A limiting member 25 is also held on the pin 16 and has notches 26 and 27 formed between upturned lips '28` 29 and 30 for receiving the ends 21 and 22 of the spring 20, whereby the turning of the member 25 may be revented on said pin, and an extension 31 is formed on said limiting memberand projects forwardly of the body portions of members A and B and has a transversely disposed edge 32 for engagement with the fruit stems so as to limit the movement of the clippers over the stem pits of the fruit. Said member rests upon the lower side of the member B and the spring 20 rests thereupon, as clearly shown in the drawing.

It will be noted that the jaws 1 and 4 have straight cutting edges 33 and 34, respectively, which are parallel and in contact when the jaws are closed, as shown in Fig. 1, and the cutting portions thereof are bowled, or cupped, as at 35 so as to render rthe jaws readily insertible into the depression around the stems of the fruit in order that a close cut of the stems may be made.

One of the handles, either of member A or B, as the case may be, may have a grip G of rubber or the like which is molded to lit the straight portion of the handle and is provided with a knob 'or abutment 36 adapted to be engaged by the thumb of the hand when held in proper position for use of the clippers. The surface may be roughcned as indicated so that a firm grasp thereof may be had and said gripping member may be readily removed from the handle for any purpose.

1n the use, the handles of the members A and B are grasped firmly in the hand of the operator and the jaws being normally open, the clippers are adjusted to the stem of the fruit to be clipped in such a manner that the bowl of the jaws will rest in the depression at the root of the stem while the body of the clippers will rest lightly upon, or be held slightly out of contact with the fruit. The jaws are moved over the fruit so that the member 25 will touch the stem and the closing of the jaws against the tension of the spring 2G will effect the cutting of the stem close to the root and yet without any damage being done to the fruit.

The Hat faces of the sides of the members A and B serve to hold the cutting jaws per fectly parallel and in alinement and the removal of the fulcrum pin 16 permits of the ready disassembling of the tool for any purpose by unskilled persons.

I may modify the form of my device from that shown within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention or enlarging the scope thereof.

What I claim is:

1. An implement of the character described embodying relatively movable members provided with clipping jaws at one of their ends and handles at their other ends, the intermediate portions thereof being enlarged and having cavities therein, the cutting edges of said jaws being cupped for inn sertion into the stem pit of fruit, a stop member held stationary in the cavities of said members and having a forwardly projecting lip with an edge extending transversely of said cutting edges, for limiting the adjustment of the implement relative to the fruit stems in a clipping operation'2 and a spring having the end portions thereoI engaging said handles, `and the intermediate portions thereof engaging portions of said stop member for holding said stop member in operative position when the jaws are open, and for holding said jaws normally closed.

2. An implement scribed including a pair of relatively movable members hingedly connected together at a point nearer one extremity than the other and having enlarged hollow body portions, handle extensions integrally formed on said members, clipping jaws integral. therewith and on the opposite extremities of said members from said handles. said jaws being extended downwardly and outwardly from the plane of said handles and having meeting cutting edges disposed in the plane of the longitudinal axis of the implement when said jaws are closed, said cutting edges having cupped portions formed in the outer extremities thereof, a stop memof the character deber stationarily held between said members i and having an extension disposed transversely of and projecting outwardly beyond the opposite cutting edges, and a spring hav ing the end portions thereof engaging sai handles, and the intermediate portions thereof engaging portions of said stop member for holding said stop member in operative position when the jaws are open, and for holding said jaws normally closed.

3. An implement of the character described including a pair of relatively movable members hinged together at a point intermediate their extremities and provided with handles and cutting jaws onopposite Lef/'2,392 i sides of the hinge, a flat stop member held between said members and on said hinge and provided with a forward extension with an edge disposed transversely of the cutting,r edges of said jaws, the rear edge of said stop member being upturned ,and provided with a plurality of notches, a spring' coiled around said hinge and having,r its free ends extended through said notches and projecting into said handles, for holding said stop member stationary when said jaws are opened and Closed said spring serving)r to hold said jaws normally closed.

el. An implement of the character described including a pair of hollow and relatively movable members having Central body portions, cutting jaws integrally formed at one side of said body'portions and handles on the opposite sides thereof, a pin for hingedly connecting the body portions of said members together, a stop member held on said pin and having an extension projecting forwardly through said body portions and overlying said cuttingr jaws and disposed at right angles thereto, and a spring adjustably arranged for connection with said stop member for normally holding said jaws Closed.

l 5. An implement of the character deseribed comprising a pair of relatively movable cutting members, a. pin connecting said members together for movement, a stop member held on said pin, said members having paired cutting jaws downwardly and outwardly extended and having meeting cutting edges, said stop member having an extension projecting through said members and having a transversely disposed portion overlying said cutting edges, said stop member havingr an enlarged portion held on said pin, and a spring also held Onsaid pin and having the end portions thereof engaging said Cutting members and the intermediate portions thereof engaging the enlarged portion of said. stop member, for the VVpurpose described.

LE() M. HARVEY. Witnesses:

CHARLES N. MoNTGoMERY, LUTHER l MACK. 

